People participate in various exercises, such as aerobic activities, weight training, resistance training, and functional dynamics, to obtain higher levels of fitness. As is common in the fitness industry, basic exercises can be accomplished by using equipment. The use of exercise equipment for physical fitness comes in many forms. The devices range from the simple, jump rope, to the more sophisticated Nautilus apparatus and Solofex devices.
Varied types of exercise apparatuses have been available over the years, with such use being based on the idea of targeting for example, heart rate, and improving cardiovascular health, while other physical training apparatuses specifically target certain muscle groups for defining, toning and strengthening them. The configuration of these apparatuses varies as they invariably depend on the particular needs and circumstances of the purpose for which they will be applied to.
Some exercise apparatuses come in the form of specialized vests, body suits, or belts which are attached to the individual's upper body torso or waist, and typically equipped with a resistance component to engage the individual's hands or legs. Known devices for providing resistance to motion during multidirectional movement include weighted vests, belts, and arm or leg bands. These devices have disadvantages which will become more apparent with reference to the following disclosure. For example, one disadvantage of a weighted wearable devices is that they are often bulky and cumbersome, which can inhibit effective movement and provide resistance in a limited way while running, jogging or walking. The prior art does not provide a effective means for isolating and targeting specific muscle groups without resistance bands or weights during running.
Studies have shown that increased lung capacity in an individual will attain better results in cardiovascular exercise. Lung capacity determines how well the oxygen flows throughout an individual's body. Exercises that increase an individual's lung capacity allow an individual to achieve better results. Direct results can be seen with swimmers, who over time develop the capacity to hold their breath under water for a significant period because of their increased lung capacity. In general athletes with increased lung capacity have greater strength, endurance and stamina.
Runners who desire to have greater strength and endurance need to integrate the strengthening of muscle groups with exercises that increase lung capacity while running. An exercise helpful to increase lung capacity is raising an individual's arms over their head.
Several weight bearing exercise equipment strive for similar results where an individual may perform weight lifting exercises to increase lung capacity. In weight training exercises the raising of an individual's hands with weights above their head directly affects the strengthening of their bicep muscles. These exercises produce limited success, in view of the fact there are limited alternatives for duplicating the cardiovascular exercises while running. To date, the prior art has not resolved this need with the existing cardiovascular equipment. Thus, there is a need for cardiovascular equipment that will allow the individual to keep their arms up over their head during cardiovascular exercises and provide support for the hands during the same.
The prior art does not provide the benefit of increasing lung capacity while targeting the oblique and bicep muscles through a passive workout while an individual is running. Additionally, several existing cardiovascular equipment promote the natural involuntary arm swinging motion during running which contributes to reducing the individual's endurance while exercising. There remains a need for an affordable, portable, exercise apparatus that is simple and effective, easily fitted on an individual, which will improve the cardiovascular health by increasing the lung capacity of the individual with the benefits of engaging the oblique and bicep muscles while running.
The apparatus disclosed herein involves the passive workout for the oblique and bicep muscles when the hands of the individual grasp the handle grip element installed on the back of the apparatus while running. The arms raised above the individual's head and the hands held stationary behind the neck while running activate the oblique and bicep muscles, thereby providing a passive workout for these muscles while running, where the individual's natural bodyweight is the resistance, or acts as the only resistance, and no other additional weight or resistance is required. The apparatus disclosed herein permits the arms to be raised up over the individual's head and the hands held stationary behind the neck, exposing the oblique muscles, increasing the tension and stress on the oblique muscles for the duration of time that the individual is running. Thus the apparatus disclosed herein targets, strengthens, tones and adds definition to the oblique muscles. Additionally when the arms are brought up over the head and held stationary behind the neck, the arm muscles, including the bicep muscles, are engaged and exposed to the natural stress and tension for the duration of time that the individual is running. Thus the apparatus disclosed herein also targets, strengthens, tones and adds definition to the bicep muscles. Moreover, in assisting the raising of an individual's arms while running, the apparatus disclosed herein increases the lung capacity of the individual during running, thus allowing for the increase oxygen exchange and dissolution. The apparatus ultimately increases the individual's tolerance, endurance and strength while preventing the natural swinging movement of the individual's arms while running.
The apparatus disclosed herein satisfies these long felt needs by adding the benefits of a passive workout for the oblique and bicep muscles to the common exercise of running, and solves the limitations of the prior art in a new and novel manner.